


Rules of the Fae

by Spongecatdog



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Angst, Fae AU, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2014-11-19
Packaged: 2018-02-21 02:58:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2452202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spongecatdog/pseuds/Spongecatdog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are many rules when it comes to the Fae.</p><p>Too bad nobody told Kaneki any of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. And So It Begins

**Author's Note:**

> Ahaha, so I'm going to try and do multi-chapter fics again. Yay. But just a warning ahead of time, this fic is probably just going to get darker and darker as it goes on. Its not really going to have a happy ending. But isn't that half the fun?
> 
> I will be adding more characters and tags later on in the series. I'm going to try to keep my uploads anywhere from three days to a week, but I can't really make any promises as it does take me a while to write chapters andIsortahavetohavealifetooImeanwhat

Looking back, Kaneki wondered how he could have been so foolish. How could he have trusted the beautiful looking man so blindly? Even back when Kaneki first laid eyes on him, he could tell something was...off about him. The black-haired boy couldn’t tell what it was. But...If he had to guess, Kaneki would say that it was the absolutely ethereal feel about the man. He just didn’t feel human.

If only Kaneki had listened to his gut.

If only he hadn’t accepted that drink.

But he did.

And now he is stuck in the forest surrounded by terrifying things, mourning his lost humanity.

His ears briefly caught the noise of a branch creaking. Kaneki tensed and turned quickly to face the source of the noise. Kaneki hated the way his body unintentionally relaxed slightly at the sight that met his eyes (He should hate him, he is the one that dragged him into this, so why did he feel so relieved by seeing him?) Although, if Kaneki was honest, it was better to see the other than most of the other things that haunted around this forest. He didn’t know what he would do if it had been one of them to appear on the tree next to him. Not for the first time that night, Kaneki thanked the fae’s strange habit of dancing in the moonlight.

“Enjoying the night, Kaneki?” The man’s voice still sounded as warm and lovely as syrup just as it did the night Kaneki first met him. Kaneki shivered and tried to convince himself as he rubbed his arms that it was only because of the chilly night breeze that blew every now and then (and definitely not the other’s voice).

“As much as I can considering…” Kaneki’s words trailed off, but he knew the other was fully aware of what he meant. The low chuckle he heard was enough to let him know that much.

“You should try dancing with them for a night. Who knows. Maybe you will find you just can’t stop.” Kaneki stared at the black-haired man with wide eyes, trying to decipher whether or not the clearly emphasized words were a joke or an actual hint. The fae’s face gave him no clue, so Kaneki looked back out of the forest. He could almost make out the city from where he stood. Kaneki stiffened automatically when he felt arms that were not his own cross over his chest and a head lay on his shoulder. When had the man moved from the end of the branch?

“Still looking out at the humans?” His breath was tickling Kaneki’s ear, but Kaneki didn’t move. Or, to be more accurate, he couldn’t move. His breath was starting to speed up slightly in tempo. Another chuckle passed through the man’s lips making Kaneki cringe. “Why watch a world to which you can never return?” There was a beat of silence. Kaneki could feel dread creeping up at the back of his mind. Whatever the man holding him closely was going to say next wasn’t going to be good. “Why try to trick yourself into still believing you will go back to the human realm one day when you have to be human to do so?”

Kaneki darted out of the way to glare at the smirking man, who was still standing a few feet away. Kaneki hated the way he knew that the only reason he was able to get away was because the other man allowed him to get out of his grasp. Of course, his glare may have been softened by his slightly teary eyes, but Kaneki refused to think about that. He hated to think that any traits of his defiance were being ruined by tears of despair. His slightly increased breathing rate was also completely normal, and he refused to even begin to question otherwise. Kaneki breathed deeply and looked at the man across from him straight in his unearthly colored eyes. 

“I will return one day to them, I swear to it.” There were no tears beginning to trail down his cheeks. The damp trails he felt on his cheeks were just dew beginning to form on the tree leaves around him that landed on his cheeks when he accidently bumped into them. “I am still human.” Kaneki choked. He could feel his shoulders shaking due to, oh why does he try to deny it, his silent sobs. He wiped his face roughly with his sleeve and turned to look at the other straight in the eyes. “I am still a human, Uta, and there is nothing you can do to change it.” Kaneki jumped off the tree branch and frantically tried to deny the fact that he just jumped from a ten foot tall tree branch, and no human could do that. Running away and focusing desperately on the flashes of pain caused by the tree branches swiping and scratching his face, Kaneki ignored Uta’s last faint words. 

“Oh really? Because your eye tells a different story.”


	2. Remembering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaneki thinks about the past, and Uta is like 'hey you should eat.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahaha~! I actually managed to write a chapter two, and I should really not be this excited over it.

Kaneki only stopped to breathe when he was sure he was far enough from the fae that lurked in the forest and the one particular fae that seemed to love drinking in his misery. He leaned back on a nearby tree, panting lightly. Kaneki chewed on his lip. What kind of mess had he gotten into this time? His back slowly slid down the rough bark of the tree holding him up still until he was sitting against the trunk of the tree. Kaneki let out a deep breath and tilted his head up to stare at the star-filled sky. 

Closing his eyes, he wondered what Hide was doing. The blond was probably looking for him… Kaneki cringed. A part of him wanted the blond nearby, but Kaneki had heard stories of what the fae of the forest did to humans who found out about them. A shiver ran down his spine as he remembered hearing the fae proudly boast about their ‘conquests’ when he was hiding in the trees above them. God, what some of them had talked about doing to humans...It left no doubt in Kaneki’s mind about what they would ever do if they ever found Hide..

A part of Kaneki still wanted the blond close by despite this. He wanted to see him again. He wanted the comfort Hide brought with him. Kaneki missed that air of happiness that seemed to be synonymous with Hide. 

But if Kaneki has his way, Hide would never step a foot into the Forest of the Fae.

If it was to protect his dear friend from the malevolent spirits that haunted the forests, Kaneki was fine with being alone. Opening his eyes slowly, Kaneki gazed at the stars and chuckled softly.

“Instead of the one hurting, become the one who is hurt, right?”

Kaneki’s quiet whisper was swallowed up by the noises of nature surrounding him. It was a somber philosophy, but it was Kaneki’s philosophy, and he stuck by it. Kaneki closed his eyes and fell into a light doze. He hadn’t even noticed he had fallen asleep until his ears perked up at the bright chirps of birds beginning to wake up.

“You know, you really shouldn’t fall asleep out in the open like that. Some might consider it an invitation.”

Kaneki jumped up and whirled around wildly. His eyes fell upon Uta almost immediately. The man was leaning casually on a tree across from him. The black haired fae was a picture of beauty. It almost physically hurt Kaneki to look at him. Whether it was from the other’s looks or knowing how Uta’s true nature, Kaneki didn’t know. Either way, he quickly averted his eyes and looked at a fallen tree to Uta’s left. A fleeting hope of Uta going away if Kaneki ignored him was quickly destroyed by Uta’s footfalls coming towards him. Kaneki hated it when he did that. He knew for a fact that Uta was perfectly capable of moving around without a sound, and yet Uta still prefered to walk as loudly as possibly. No. That wasn’t it. Uta prefered to walk as human-like as possible.

“Who would have known what might have happened to you if I wasn’t nearby. It really would be a shame if someone whisked you away.” Kaneki didn't even need to look at the other to know that red irises surrounded by a black backdrop flickered to stare at him openly. “There are a lot of other fae who are worse than I am.” Kaneki fidgeted slightly. Uta was right. There were many more fae that were far worse than Uta. They wouldn’t stop at just tricking a human into being eternally trapped in the Land of the Fae. Bile rose at the back of his throat at the mere thought of what they would do. Shaking his head, Kaneki pushed away the thoughts. All the better of a reason to keep Hide away and out of this mess.

“You need to eat.” Kaneki flinched and looked in front of him. Uta was standing not even two or three feet away from him now. Kaneki chewed his lip and looked down at the ground. “I’m fine.” If Uta was a human, Kaneki would have wondered whether or not his low whisper was heard. “You’re lying.” Uta’s voice had more of a tone of curiosity than one of annoyance. Kaneki peeked up through his eyelashes to see Uta tilting his head to the side with wide eyes. “Interesting. You must not be that far along then. That only proves you haven’t eaten anything yet.”

Kaneki jerked his head up to stare at Uta with wide eyes. He could fell his heart fluttering quickly. ‘Not that far along…?’ “What do you mean?” Uta waved him off casually. “Nothing you need to worry about, Kaneki.” Kaneki’s eyebrows furrowed when Uta began muttering under his breath with a distant look in his eyes. Kaneki flinched when he heard the mumbled words that sounded a lot like “Touka” and “forced eating”. He didn’t know who ‘Touka’ was, but Kaneki could easily assume who was going to be force fed. Kaneki’s body tensed up to run (not that it would really help) when he heard Uta sigh and whisper an almost too quiet “no.” (A part of Kaneki wonders whether or not hearing Uta’s mumbles were intentional, but then Kaneki remembers the other half of him that doesn’t really want to know.)

Kaneki flailed to catch the object thrown at him, barely catching it. He looked down and blinked. Why had Uta thrown him a brown paper package…? Kaneki looked up to ask, but Uta was talking before Kaneki opened his mouth. 

“Its food. Like I said, you need to eat. If you don’t, I might have to get someone to talk you into it.” Uta hummed lowly. “She has a way of convincing people.” Kaneki shivered. So Uta had intentionally let him hear his thoughts...for some reason, that made it even worse. Kaneki threw the package on the ground, trying to focus more on the way dust fluttered up than the bitter taste of terror filling his mouth. “I told you. I’m not hungry.” Kaneki silently thanked his stomach for not giving him away. Despite his words, Kaneki was starving. But after that night...Kaneki didn’t think he was ever going to take anything from Uta, food or drink. 

Kaneki heard an impatient sigh before the world went black, and when did he start falling?


	3. Dreams of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaneki dreams of the past, and things are finally explained. Well. A little bit more than they were, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright~! So, I've finally come up with a sort of schedule for when I'll be posting chapters. I'm going to try and shoot for posting them on Mondays and Wednesdays. And as I say that, I'll also say that the next chapter may or may not come out on Thursday. That was bad planning on my part, and I really apologize for it. But at least I got this one out on time, right~?

Bright lights flickered in the room, changing colors and shining brilliantly on the walls. The music was so loud Kaneki could feel the vibrations coming off of the walls when he leaned back on it. There was a sea of people dancing and weaving in the midst of it all. If you could call that dancing, that is.

Safe to say, Kaneki wanted to go home.

But he had came earlier with Hide, and Kaneki wanted to at least find the blond first before trying to edge out of the chaos. Kaneki looked around the giant room, trying to find the familiar mop of hair when a feeling of deja vu came over him. It was almost like he had seen all of this before somewhere. The sense of familiarity wouldn’t be as strange if Kaneki had never stepped into a place like this before in his life. Despite this, it was like Kaneki knew what was going to happen next. It was almost like he was in a drea-

“Drink?”

Or, at least, that was what Kaneki thought he heard. He blinked and took the offered cup without thinking. He glanced up to see a black haired man with his arm outstretched. Kaneki’s eyes flickered up to meet the other’s eyes and blanched at the man’s eyes before he could stop it. Kaneki opened his mouth to apologize in case the strange man had noticed it and was offended, but he was cut off by the man in front of him before he could. 

“Ah, its okay. I get that reaction a lot.” The stranger paused for a second as if thinking about something. His eyes widened a fraction, revealing more of his black sclera. “But who is to say that isn’t what I want?” Kaneki chuckled weakly and readjusted his hands on the bright red cup in his hands. He couldn’t stop staring at the other’s...interestingly colored eyes. Kaneki knew it was probably rude to keep staring, but the strange coloring was too bizarre for Kaneki to look away. He was mesmerized by the red irises surrounded by a pool of black. Kaneki idly wondered what would make someone want to wear but contacts like that.

But they weren’t really contacts, were they?

Kaneki blinked. What would make him think that? Of course the other was wearing contacts. There was no other way that he knew of that a human could possibly have that eye coloring. If they did, they would probably be in a hospital and not able to look as healthy as the other did.

“My name is Uta, and you are…?” Uta’s words trailed off, waiting for Kaneki to say his name. Kaneki tensed up slightly and stuttered out a “K-Kaneki Ken.” By the look of the Uta’s nonchalant motion of pointing his hand at his ear, Kaneki’s voice was unable to be heard over the loud pumping music that was filling the room. Gulping, Kaneki tried again and yelled it. Uta’s eyes widened slightly and made a soft noise. “Kaneki Ken, huh? Interesting name.” Kaneki didn’t really see how his name was interesting, but the other looked interested in it. It was...strange to have someone other than Hide interested in him. Kaneki fidgeted with the cup again, too buried in his thoughts to notice Uta’s eye flick down to look at the still untouched drink. When Kaneki looked at Uta again, Uta’s eyes were staring at him. Kaneki gulped again and raised his drink to his lips, suddenly feeling thirsty.

Don’t drink it.

Kaneki’s eyebrows furrowed. Don’t drink it…? That was weird thought to have before drinking something. He looked down at the amber colored liquid in the cup with a curious gaze. Well, it was a drink from a stranger… There was no way to tell what could be in there. 

Kaneki brought the cup back to its original position as his eyes flickered up to glance at Uta before staring back into his drink. Uta didn’t act like someone who would want to drug him...But then again if there was one thing Kaneki learned from books, it was that even the helpful stranger can easily turn into the ‘bad guy.’ As if sensing Kaneki’s agitation about drinking, Uta tilted his head to the side with wide eyes.

“Its safe, y’know. I wouldn’t drug you. If you like, I can drink some to prove it.” 

Kaneki’s eyes widened, and he bit his lip nervously. Was his suspicion really that obvious? What if Uta thought he was an overly paranoid kid now? Kaneki took a hand away from the cup to wave in front of him rapidly in what he hoped was a denying way. His eyes slid to the side. (Oh wow, what that puddle to his left always that green? How strange.) “I-Its fine! I’ve just read too many books about…” Kaneki’s words trailed off as he realized he probably wasn’t helping himself. He looked at Uta with a small smile. “Ah, but that’s nothing interesting.”

Uta stared at him openly. Kaneki internally wondered if Uta needed to blink before dismissing it as silly. (Its impossible for humans to never blink, after all.) But still, the way Uta’s wide, captivating eyes never left his face was beginning to make Kaneki nervous. The urge to take a sip from the cup still in his hands was slowly intensifying. Anything was better than having an awkward one-way staring match. Uta tilted his head to the side. Kaneki could swear that he saw the other mumble something. Kaneki cupped his ear in an attempt to hear Uta clearer. “What? I can’t hear you…?”

Uta perked up slightly, his head returning upright. “Ah, it's nothing. I was just wondering why you thought that anything you liked would be uninteresting to others...” Kaneki’s eyes widened slightly as he made a small noise of shock. Of all of the things Kaneki had expected Uta to say, Kaneki would have to say that wasn’t even on the list. It was shocking to hear it from anybody other than Hide, let alone a stranger he had known for less than five minutes. Kaneki's eyes flickered down to stare at the amber liquid inside the cup while trying to suppress a blush. 

"Ah, thank you..." His words trailed off, and Kaneki chewed on his lip, still looking into the cup. Surely one sip wouldn't be too bad, right? With that thought in mind, Kaneki slowly rose his cup to take a sip.

Kaneki couldn't describe the taste. It was a strange mix between vanilla and honey that somehow came out just right on his tongue. It was strangely sweet, and Kaneki wondered absentmindedly whether the taste was due to the drink or a drug Uta had slipped in at some point. Either way, it held a certain addiction to it. Kaneki didn't even realize he had drank the whole thing before he noticed he was only getting small drops of the drink. Kaneki opened his mouth to ask what it was when the feeling began building up in his mouth.

It was like his mouth was slowly getting colder and colder. The strange feeling was starting to creep down his throat and spread throughout his chest. Kaneki grabbed at his throat and looked up at Uta with a confused expression. He wanted to ask the other about what on earth he put in the drink, but he couldn't even feel his tongue anymore. It was like Kaneki's whole mouth and throat was going numb.

Kaneki's heart was pounding loudly in his head as he stumbled backwards to lean against a wall. Instead, he landed in Uta's arms, who must have walked behind him while he was moving. Kaneki feebly tried to raise his arms to push away Uta and get the fuck away, but Uta's hold only tightened on him. Black dots were beginning to swim in Kaneki's vision as he began to grow limp. Kaneki could feel the other pick his limp body up and place him over a back. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know to whom the owner of said back was. Uta's footsteps and the loud music still thumping away merrily were becoming clouded up, almost as if someone was stuffing cotton in his ears. Kaneki's eyes finally fluttered shut, and everything went dark.

Kaneki awoke with a gasp and sat up. Kaneki's hand instinctively went to clutch at the area over his heart. He could feel it beating a thousand miles a minute. His eyes darted across the room. Kaneki’s shoulders slumped forward reflexively when he was sure no one was there.

God, how many times was he going to have that dream? How many times would he have to relive those moments over and over again? It was like his subconscious couldn't let him get away from it. Every hour, awake or asleep, he was thinking about it. He couldn't stop wondering what could have been different. Kaneki sighed and put his head in his hands.

It was quiet. Kaneki's eyebrows furrowed, and he looked up suspiciously, eyes darting around the room. There was no way Uta would leave him alone after that. But...there was something else....Something about him personally was off... Kaneki licked his lips absentmindedly and froze.

Why could he taste berries on his lips?

Kaneki slumped back down. That was it. That was what was off. That was why it was so quiet. His stomach finally was silent. Because he was full. 

Kaneki could feel a harsh sting behind his eyes beginning to build up. Uta must have force fed him while he was asleep. Kaneki swallowed harshly. Was there no end to how much of Kaneki’s humanity Uta was going to take away from him? Kaneki let out a low whimper accidentally. God, he was just a college kid. Why was this happening to him….Not that he would want it to happen to anyone else, but the feeling remained. Kaneki’s ears perked up at the sound of footsteps. He looked up just in time to see a young woman with flowing hair. She looked amused when she saw he was watching her.

“Ah, so you’re awake! Good! Then let’s have a lovely chat, shall we?”

Kaneki gulped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so in case I didn't get my point across. the drink the drink that Uta gives Kaneki is one of the Fae's drinks. I'm kinda playing off the idea that if a human 'drinks or eats something from the land of the Fae, they will be trapped there forever.' Hence, why Kaneki is 'trapped' in the Land of the Fae. I'm really sorry if I didn't write it clearly. ovo;;


	4. Friend or Foe...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaneki meets Itori and gains a chance to get back to the Human Realm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact that isn't very fun or factual: I just barely got this out today, and I am so sorry for the lateness. ;v;

The woman introduced herself as Itori a few minutes after Kaneki finally calmed down enough to listen to her without hitting her with a stick or running away. Which, to be fair, was a totally normal reaction considering she had appeared out of nowhere and talked suspiciously. The woman clapped her hands and smiled happily when Kaneki finally put down the tree branch he was wielding. Admittedly, it wasn’t the best weapon, but it was one that Kaneki could get his hands on easily and quickly. She had laughed when Kaneki watched her warily while placing it behind him to lean on the wall.

“Its fine! I’m not gonna hurt you! Well,” The woman paused and put a finger to her mouth as if thinking before perking back up and winking at Kaneki. 

“Not unless you make me hurt you, of course!” She sashayed from where she was standing in the doorway into the room to stand in front of Kaneki. The air of casualness that seemed to emanate from her was almost abnormal after being away from ‘normal’ people. Kaneki hated how strange it was to be around people who weren’t trying to cause him misery.

“So kid, I’ve got a deal for you. An ‘I scratch your back, you scratch my back’ kind of thing, y’know?” Kaneki watched Itori warily as she lazily sat down and sat casually in the chair. She seemed safe enough to be around, but if he was thinking along the vein of thought, so had Uta. But still...Kaneki was acutely aware of his lack of friends or acquaintances in the Fae world. It would help him greatly to have someone other than Uta to help him out (if what you could call whatever tidbits of information Uta told him ‘helping’.)

“What would I need to do?” Kaneki wasn’t agreeing to anything, but Itori smiled like she had already won whatever she wanted. Itori purred (Could fae do that?) and moved to sit up in the chair, leaning forward slightly with her head resting on her propped hands. 

“Nothing, really. Just tell me a little bit about yourself. There aren’t that many human-turned-fae in the forest.” At Kaneki’s surprised looked, her smile grew larger. 

“Oh yes, you’re quite the popular topic, Mr. One Eye. There aren’t many people like you nowadays.” Kaneki moved his hand over the eyepatch covering his right eye without thinking. He had put an eyepatch over his strange-looking eye. Looking at it only served to further remind Kaneki just how much he had lost by falling down the metaphorical rabbit hole.

Kaneki pulled his hand away from his face and looked at the doorway while absentmindedly chewing his lip. His eyes flickered back to look at Itori. “What would I get out of it?”

Itori tilted her head to the side, making her long hair cascade over his shoulder. “Why, information of course! I’m quite the informant if I do say so myself.” The woman winked, giggling at the small blush forming on Kaneki’s cheeks.

What did he what to know? Well, how to become human again for one, but he wasn’t sure if he could ask Itori that without possibly offending her. She seemed passive enough, but Kaneki knew it was better safe than sorry when it came to the Fae. But what else could he…? Kaneki’s head jerked up.

“Could you tell me how to get back to the Human Realm?”

Kaneki couldn’t tell if Itori’s smile suddenly got darker or if it was just him. Either way, she clapped her hands and sat back in the chair. Kaneki tried to ignore the way she looked like a cat who just ate the canary.

“Fortunately, I can tell you about cracks that allow us Fae into the Human Realm. And since I’m such a nice person, I’ll also tell you about the rules when it comes to being outside of the Realm.” Itori stood up and stretched her arms languidly. When she was finished, Itori continued.

“You see, there are certain places in the walls that hide this place that aren’t completely connected, which allows us to go to and fro as we please. Of course, this also means that humans can get in as well, but I don’t think I need to explain to you why that would be bad.” Kaneki shivered and nodded. Just thinking about Hide or somebody else getting inside the Realm of the Fae made him feel queasy.

“Although, these places have time limits on them. The Realm realizes they are open and connect them. Any Fae, human-turned or not, will be separated from the Realm of the Fae if this happens. As you can probably guess, this is not a good thing to have happen. I won’t go into too much detail, but let’s just say you might go a little crazy.” Kaneki’s eyes widened. If the risks were that high, then why…?

“You must be wondering why people risk it if its so dangerous, right?” Itori giggled as Kaneki squawked and stared at her in shocked wonder. Kids these days were just too easy to read. “Fortunately, we have devised a system to know when and where these openings will appear and for how long. Luckily for you, I know people who could get you in and out easily.”

Kaneki blinked. Was it really going to be this easy to go out into the Human Realm again…? It almost seemed too good to be true. “I-Is that it? Nothing else I need to look out for?”

Itori put a finger to her lip and hummed as if running over everything. “Nope!” Itori chirped, popping the ‘p’. 

“So kiddo, is that it? I take you where you need to go, and you’ll tell me all I want to know?”

Kaneki bit his lip nervously. It was too good of a deal to pass… His eyes flickered up to meet Itori’s own bright eyes. “Deal.” 

Kaneki could have swore her eyes looked different for a second, but he dismissed it as a trick of light instead. Kaneki’s eyes shone. He was going to be back amongst the humans soon! He couldn't wait.

 

Itori chuckled while twirling around a wine glass containing something too dark to be wine but too light to be mistaken for blood. She could hear footsteps behind her. 

“You were right. His misery is delicious. I almost couldn’t stop myself from simply stealing him away from you.”

A man slid into the seat next to her, pouring himself a drink into an extra wine glass. He hummed under his breath and turned to face her. 

“Ah, but if you did, I would have to kill you.”

Itori giggled again. Uta was always so amazingly possessive when it came to his toys.


	5. Researcher's Woes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaneki follows his really angry guide and finally arrives at the bookstore. (Woo.)

Kaneki met the person leading him to the opening in the 'walls' surrounding the Realm of the Fae in the early morning. The sun was just barely peeking over and lighting up the forest. Before all of this, Kaneki might have been more reluctant to go this early. But now….He has problems with his sleep (with the things he sees in his sleep), so he was fine with doing something instead of staring off into space or avoiding anyone or anything that lurked in the forest at night. Most of the fae danced in the moonlight, enjoying its soft beams, but there were still other fae that Kaneki would prefer not to meet.

His guide had an air of complete annoyance. Kaneki didn't have to have Hide's level of intuition to know that the man was irritated with him. Kanek nervously began to fidget with his hands, his eyes wandering to look anywhere but his guide's back.

"We're not that far away now. Don't get lost."

The sudden break in silence startled Kaneki, making his head jerk to face the other. The quiet returned before Kaneki spoke.

"Ah, thank you..." Kaneki waited for the other to fill in his name. When he didn't, Kaneki sighed internally. Could the air get anymore stifling? Deciding that some conversation was better than this, Kaneki piped up again.

"I don't think I caught your name..?" Kaneki swore he could feel the man in front of him roll his eyes. The man sighed and turned around with a bitter expression. Kaneki squeaked lowly.

"Listen, kid. I'm just here doing this as a favor. I don't like you. You don't like me. Let's just try to get through this, so I can do what I want to do out there, and you can do whatever you're so desperate to see out there that you made a deal with Itori of all people." The bespectacled man turned around with a huff. Kaneki could have swore he heard the other mumble a few choice words under his breath.

Well this was awkward.

A part of Kaneki wondered about why his guide made it sound like making deals with Itori was a horrible idea. The woman was strange for sure, but why would it bad to make a deal with her? All she really wanted was information...right?

Before long, they stood before an opening between two hedges. Kaneki knew this was where the opening was without even asking. He could feel a tingle of something in the air that he couldn't really explain. Kaneki winced when he heard his guide huff a "Finally." beside him. The other turned around to face him.

"This is where we part. And remember," the man said as he walked between the two hedges. "Be back at this exact spot at 7 p.m. tonight." Kaneki stumbled over the sticks laying around before yelling at the man.

"Wait! What's your name in case I need to find you later."

Kaneki heard a loud sigh from the fae. He could barely make out a shadow turned to face him.

"You won't be able to find me that easily, but my name is Nishiki. Nishiki Nishio." Nishiki turned back around and quickly disappeared. Kaneki breathed in deeply and stared out at the slowly awakening city. Where to start?

After much deliberation, Kaneki decided to go to the bookstore. Despite the urge to find Hide and explain all of what had happened to him, Kaneki knew he couldn't go to the blond. He was extremely wary of bringing his best friend in on the situation even if Hide was smart. It was too dangerous. Besides, if Kaneki showed up at Hide's apartment this early in the morning, he would probably get hit by a stray pillow.

Kaneki toyed with the idea of going to Hide later as he readjusted his eyepatch. Even if he couldn't talk to Hide, Kaneki could at least leave a note somewhere for him. The last Hide had seen him was a couple of days after they had been out before Kaneki had refused to leave his room. When Kaneki had first woke up after the surreal experience of Uta and his bizarre drink, he had no idea what had happened. Although the most strange thing was simply waking up in his own bed with an ache in his whole sense of being and several texts from Hide.

He had texted back, mentioning to Hide that he wasn't feeling well. Strangely enough, Kaneki had taken to hiding in his room a few days after the party without understanding why other than the sun was irritating to him, and he would get burned at random moments, especially on the subways. It hadn't been long after that when Kaneki had been drawn to the forest where he met Uta again and was dragged into the forest. Now that Kaneki thought about it, Uta had made him eat and drink things then too…

Either way, he should probably let Hide know that he was okay. Even if he wasn't really.

Kaneki didn't even realize he was standing in front of the bookstore until he looked up to see why the sudden income of people had stopped. Kaneki made a soft noise of surprise. He must have been so deeply in thought that he hadn't even noticed he had arrived at the bookstore. Kaneki opened the door and peeked his head inside to look around before following it with the rest of his body.

It didn't take long for Kaneki to find what he was looking for in the bookstore. It wasn't one of his more favored ones, but he still knew the layout of the store pretty well. Instead of walking in and taking a left into the horror section of the store, Kaneki instead walked to the back where he knew the books about myths and fantastical things lay. Kaneki took a look at the gaudy, bright books showing the stereotypical fairies, sparkling vampires (Kaneki took a moment to question American's idea of literature on that one), and buff werewolves. He sighed and began grabbing books that looked like they might have some sort of information that would help him figure out what was going on with himself and maybe give him clues on what to do to become human again.

It took him almost an hour to find a book that actually was about the Fae. Kaneki grimaced as he remembered the grueling hours spent flipping through the extensive amount of books that mentioned fairies or Fae. He had even found a Pokemon book hidden in the back, listing all of the fairy types and information regarding them! Needless to say, Kaneki was elated when he finally found a book that actually looked like what he was looking for in the giant mess (Seriously, since when were people this interested in the supernatural? Weren't humans supposed to be afraid of this stuff?).

Kaneki's eyes widened as he flicked through the book. It was strange how just words on a paper made everything clearer. 'Fae don't care for the light, instead preferring the darkness and the moon's light beams.' Kaneki's mind instantly flashed back to the days after he first met Uta when he refused to leave his room unless the clouds were out or it was nighttime and even the past days. So that was why he didn't like being in direct sunlight. Uta had mentioned staying out of it, but he had never gone into detail. Even the subway incidents were explained. 'Fae hate the iron due its effect on them. If ever faced against one of the Fae, always bring iron. Depending on how much iron you have and the strength of the Fae, the iron's effects can vary from stinging to burning.' Kaneki bit his lip and hungrily read through, trying to find anything else that could help him.

Kaneki almost dropped the book when he saw it.

'Never drink or eat anything that one of the Fae gives you. Once you eat or drink whatever is given, you are forever trapped with them. There is no recorded way event where a person tricked by the Fae into joining their realm has left it.'

Kaneki's blood ran cold. The last sentence kept running through his head as his heart thumped noisily. 'No...recorded way out…? N-No way…!' Kaneki could feel his mouth drying and stings from behind his eyes. His trembling hands dropped the book before he could get a better hold on it. Kaneki reached down for it, his hands still shaking. Kaneki numbly ran his eyes back over the paragraph over and over again, hoping desperately that he misread something.

He didn't.

Kaneki's knees trembled and before he knew it, he was kneeling on the ground looking at the book in desperation. Kaneki could feel tears bubbling up at the side of his eyes as he stood up and put the book back where he found it. He had already read all of the things he needed, so there was no point at staring at the pages anymore. Kaneki walked away and out of the store, going to the only place of comfort he knew.

Kaneki was heading toward Hide's house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes. Feel my researcher's woes Kaneki. The amount of tings I had to go through to get a lot of info about fae and fairies was insane.
> 
> On a side note,  
> I'm really, really, sorry this is out so late, but I had to take a break due to stress problems. Even though I'm doing better, I'm going to cut updates from every Monday and Wednesday to just Wednesday, because I can't handle the pressure of getting the chapters out on time and the guilt when they are late. Although, it shouldn't be that new for a chapter a week considering...ahahaIsuckIknowQvQ   
> I've thought about going back to two chapters a week if I finish the story early, but I don't think it'll happen tbh. But who knows. I might change my mind between now and then.


	6. Not So Human Anymore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaneki realizes a thing, goes home, goes out again, eats things, gets sick, feels despair (Junko gtfo pls), and takes a letter to Hide's door.
> 
> Yup. Pretty A+ description if I do say so myself~.

About halfway to where Hide lived, Kaneki remembered why it was a bad idea to tell it all to Hide. Hide was the type of person to throw everything he had into helping someone, including himself if need be. Kaneki had no doubt that if they were ever in a situation where someone had to be eaten, Hide would probably give his own life up so that Kaneki could live on. He would never rest until Kaneki was safe and away from any dangers even if it meant dying in the process. As long as it was to save Kaneki, Hide would do it without a doubt.

Which is why Kaneki couldn't tell him anything.

Kaneki would not let Hide even have the chance to get involved.

Kaneki swallowed thickly. It almost felt like there was a hole in his chest whenever he thought about the things that could happen to Hide by just trying to find out more about the Fae. So, Kaneki stiffly moved his legs to instead head towards his own apartment. Even if he couldn't talk to Hide or see him- the questions about his disappearance and eyepatch would take more time than Kaneki had, and he wasn't even sure how to answer them without giving away too much- Kaneki could still leave him a note of some sort. Sniffing himself, Kaneki also decided that it would probably be a good idea to wash himself in an actual shower for the first time in a while.

* * *

Drying his hair off with a towel, Kaneki couldn't help but smile. Who would have known that just taking a shower would have felt so great after a while? After a few days of being covered in sweat and grime, Kaneki had slowly become used to having to wash off in rivers or other places. He didn't know if he could go back to the icy coldness of the ponds after the pleasant warmth that came from a man-made shower. He had been worried about the possibility of the faucets in the shower or sink being made out of iron but after accidentally slipping up and touching them, Kaneki found out that they must have been made out of a different type a tetal. Kaneki swore his heart almost stopped when his hand touched the metal, fearing the worst.

Fully clothed in a blue hoodie and pants, Kaneki sat down in front of a pen and paper. Kaneki smiled lightly at the thought of Hide calling him old-fashioned for giving him a letter instead of texting him or sending an email to him. If Kaneki was honest, he didn't know himself why he was writing it out on paper, but it felt like it fit for some reason. What better way to say goodbye than to write it in a letter? Of course, Kaneki hoped this wouldn't be a final goodbye, but he had to say something to Hide before he disappeared for a while.

Kaneki began to write.

_Hide,_

_Wow, this is a little surreal, right? Who actually write letters and leaves them in front of people's doors these days?_

_Ah, I'm really sorry about not being nearby the past few days...I've recently got into something…_   _Its nothing big, so don't worry! Its just...Something I have to work out on my own, y'know? So I'm going away for a little while. Don't worry about me, okay? I'll be back soon enough, so you better not go eat hamburgers without me!_

_Kaneki_

It was a simple letter that didn't tell much. Despite never lying in the letter, Kaneki had a bitter taste in his mouth from the passive wording. Kaneki could only hope that Hide didn't notice the way he never mentioned what happened or his reasons for not being around for a while. Sighing, Kaneki stood up and began to put together a few things to take back with him. The feeling of sticky, dirty clothes being the only thing that linked him to the human world left Kaneki feeling uncomfortable.

As Kaneki left with the things he wanted to bring with him in a bag, he never noticed his missing phone.

* * *

It had been awkward talking to his landlord and paying three months in advance for his room without mentioning why, but Kaneki had managed to live through it. Now all he had to do was leave the note in front Hide's door and try to get back to the Realm of the Fae before it was too late. Speaking of going back...Kaneki's eyes searched around for a clock. When he found one, Kaneki let out a sigh of relief. It was only 4, so he still had 3 hours left. Plenty of time to leave the note and get back before the hole closed.

His stomach grumbled, making Kaneki jerk upwards. A light pink spread on Kaneki's cheeks when he realized he was shocked by his own stomach. Glancing again at the clock, Kaneki figured he had time to spare for something to eat. His stomach made another noise as if agreeing with him.

Kaneki bought takoyaki from a nearby street vendor and sat on a bench to enjoy it. When was the last time he was this relaxed? No. When was the last time he felt this  _human_? Smiling to himself, Kaneki opened his mouth and popped in a piece of takoyaki.

Only to spit it back out seconds after.

Kaneki gagged and stared at the fallen piece of takoyaki that was laying innocently on the ground. He could still taste the remnants of it in his mouth, making him want to throw up. Breathing deeply, Kaneki tried to calm himself down. A thought hit him.

_What if this is because I'm not human anymore?_

He had remembered reading something along the lines of people not being able to eat normal food after having food or drink that belonged to the Fae, so it wasn't that much of a leap to guess. As if to deny this though, Kaneki began shoving piece after piece of takoyaki into his mouth, trying to force it down. Before he could even get a fews pieces of it down, he was heaving into the nearest trash. Kaneki could feel tears began to drip into the trash can as he stared at the disgusting bits of the takoyaki that had came back up. He couldn't get the taste of it out of his mouth. Kaneki rubbed at his tongue furiously.

"I-It tastes like rotten fish that's been left out in the sun for a week and has charred bread!" Kaneki muttered into his palm. His head jerked up. What if it was just that street vendor? People rarely sell rotten food on the street, but it was still a possibility. It wasn't that likely, but it was still a possibility. Kaneki really needed a possibility right now. The black-haired man jerked his head to and fro in search of another vendor. When he spotted a dango vendor not too far away from him, Kaneki ran jerkily to them.

The woman working the shop looked as though she was about to hide from Kaneki when he stood before her. Kaneki had a feeling that if he weren't holding out money, she would have ran away. To be fair though, Kaneki would have felt overly nervous if someone was wearing an eye-patch and running towards him as well, so he couldn't really blame the woman for looking so nervous. The exchange was quick and simple, and Kaneki could have swore that he heard the woman let out a breath of relief when he left.

Kaneki returned to the bench he was sitting at earlier and quickly tore off a dango, forcing it into his mouth. The reaction was instant. Kaneki was once again leaning over the side of the trash can, frantically wiping the dough off his tongue. The taste was so putrid, Kaneki felt like biting his own tongue just to get away from the taste.

Kaneki couldn't even bring himself to try the other dango, instead throwing them in the trash with the rest of whatever his stomach had churned up. He sat on the bench dejectedly. Not only was he still hungry, but he was even  _more_  hungry if that was possible. The despair was slowly beginning to hit Kaneki in waves. Deciding that even being near the fairies was better than crying in public, Kaneki stood up and began walking towards Hide's. A glance at one of the clock told him that he still had an hour left. That was more than enough time to drop the note off at Hide's and leave.

* * *

The trip to Hide's was simple and quick. No matter how much Kaneki had secretly wanted

Hide to open his door, the blond never did. After placing the letter in front of Hide's door, Kaneki's job was done. There was no more need for him to still be out in public. With that in mind, the black-haired man began his trek to the forest. And of course his job would be complete,

_if Hide ever actually got the letter._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, so this was brought to my attention on FF.net, and I figured I should bring it up here as well.
> 
> I've tried to be somewhat savvy and show most of what has happened to Kaneki in a more subtle way. In this chapter, the effects on Kaneki's body are more prominent. But allow me to fully explain what's happening to Kaneki right now~. Basically what is happening is that Kaneki is turning more and more like a Fae through eating or drinking Fae food 'n stuff (thus the reason why Uta keeps trying to make sure Kaneki is eating/drinking). Kaneki will never be fully Fae as he was originally human. However, he can still become 'half-Fae', which is shown by the fact that Kaneki only has one eye turned instead of both. I tried to mimick Tokyo Ghoul in the way that Kaneki still has to use the eyepatch to hide his now abnormal eye. He does still have both eyes tho.
> 
> Special thanks to Sachiel Angelo for asking me about Kaneki's eye and his status as either a Fae or half-Fae~. I wouldn't have thought to write anymore in depth if you hadn't asked.


	7. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hide shows up and things get a lil intense near the end.

Kaneki sighed as he walked towards the forest. He had a few issues with finding the exact location of where he and Nishiki had first left through the hedges, but he did eventually find it. Now all that was left was for Nishiki to come back and guide him through again. Kaneki casually kicked a stray rock, idly watching as it skipped and tumbled around on the ground. His ears twitched at the sound of approaching hurried footsteps. Curious, Kaneki looked up, and his heart froze.

Standing directly in front of him was Hide.

Kaneki could feel his eyes bulging slightly in shock as he watched the panting blond smile at him. Hide raised a hand. 

“Yo.”

Kaneki felt like sobbing. The act was so utterly Hide that Kaneki didn’t even know what to do. He could feel the muscles in his legs tensing, wanting to move towards the other despite being frozen in shock. Kaneki was torn between staying away in case it was a trick and running towards the other, because it was Hide. 

“H-Hide?”

Kaneki’s voice came out as a whisper, almost as if a part of him was afraid a regular speaking voice would wake him up from whatever dream he must have fallen into while waiting. Hide put his hands on his hips in a triumphant gesture that only superheroes could get away with doing.

“In the blood and the flesh!”

Thoughts were flying through Kaneki’s head a million miles per hour. How was Hide here? Did Hide see him somewhere and decide to follow him? What was even going on? When Kaneki glanced back at Hide’s face, Hide was still smiling but a tinge of worry had wormed its way onto his features. Hide chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Ah, Kaneki. You might want to slow down your breathing before you hyperventilate..?”

Kaneki blinked and wondered when he began to breathe so quickly. He slowly inhaled, held it, and then let it out again. After a few seconds of this, Kaneki was fine and able to think clearly. Hide smiled widely at Kanek, relief obvious on his face.

“Wow Kaneki! I always wondered whether you would fall apart if I wasn’t around you, but I never knew you actually would!”

Kaneki huffed angrily. “I did not fall apart without you!” He stayed like that for a moment before a small smile found its way on Kaneki’s face. God, he missed their banters. It was so pleasant to talk to someone and know they weren’t going to kill you or use your own words against you. It was almost too nice to break up, but...Hide had to go. He didn’t want to the blond to be there when Nishiki showed up. His guide didn’t seem the type to attack people for fun, but Kaneki didn’t want to take the chance. This was Hide’s life, not a game where they can simply click ‘restart’ at any moment. So in order to prevent anything, Kaneki had to get Hide out of there. But first, Kaneki had to know… 

“How did you get here? Did you follow me?”

The space between Hide’s eyebrows creased. A small, cold feeling of dread flickered inside of Kaneki’s stomach. Hide shouldn’t look so confused about how he got there. It was a simple question with a simple answer, so why was Hide confused?

“What do you mean ‘how did I get here’? You sent me a text telling me to meet you in the park, which was weird considering you weren’t there, but there was some kind of guy with piercings and really strange eyes that met me there and talked about you. He said to come to this exact spot to see you tonight.” Hide paused and gave Kaneki a bemused look. “He didn’t look like anyone I know or seen on campus.” Hide paused, his tone beginning to fill with suspicion. “Who have you been talking to while you’ve been gone, Kaneki? ...Have they been forcing you to do things you don’t want to do?”

Kaneki choked. Hide had it all wrong (well mostly), but he looked so convinced in it that it shocked Kaneki. Kaneki hurriedly waved his hands. His eyes were still wide from the surprise of Hide’s guess. “A-Ah! Nothing like that, I swear! I’ve just had a couple things to deal with that I had to be away from home for!” Kaneki paused, muttering to himself. “Didn’t I say that in the note?”

Hide’s confusion seemed to intensify. “What note? I never got a note.” Kaneki tilted his head to the side, chewing on his lip. He turned back to face Hide. “Were you at home today?” Maybe Hide had been out before he had left the note and hadn’t had the chance to go back to his apartment yet? Even while thinking that, Kaneki knew it didn’t fit. Something was really off here, and Kaneki was beginning to get really worried.

“I’ve been home all day. The only time I left was when I got your text, which was at least 5 or so…” Hide’s eyes flashed. “Kaneki. Something is really wrong here. What’s going on?”

Kaneki felt like he was so close to figuring out the mystery. It was like the answer was at the tip of his tongue. He mulled the pieces over in his mind. Hide had been at home around the time, so there was no way he couldn’t find the letter...It had been left in an obvious place. The wind hadn’t picked up any all day, so it wasn’t likely that it just flew away. But what if somebody took it…? But that would mean that someone might have planned something. But how would Hide know to go to the park…? Didn’t he mention something about a text from Kaneki?

Kaneki’s eyes grew wide. He frantically patted his pockets to find his phone only to come up empty. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t had it when he was at his apartment either… His phone was missing, and someone had texted Hide, which meant that it was intentional. Which also meant that someone had intentionally stolen his phone just to text Hide and get him to come there....

Which meant that Hide coming to meet Kaneki at the place he was told to be at was someone’s plan all along.

Kaneki snapped his head up. Dread was beginning to seep into his very being, a cold feeling trickling down his neck. He didn’t want to ask. He really didn’t. But he had to ask if he wanted to know for sure.

“Hey, Hide….Did this...guy happen to say he would also meet us here?”

Hide blinked and tilted his head to the side. “Yeah, how did you know?”

Cold arms reached to curl loosely around Kaneki’s neck. He could feel the hot puffs of air on his ear every time the person hugging him breathed. The urge to retch in the grass suddenly intensified. Without even looking, he knew.

“Yes, Kaneki. How did you know?”

Standing behind him was Uta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I'll admit something. Originally this and the next chapter were supposed to be combined, but due to time limits, I kind of cut it off. Looking at it now, I think that was the better idea overall. If I had done it the way i had planned at first, I think it would have probs been a lil rushed through, and there wouldn't be as much feel for what's going on and the Kaneki-Hide reunion. So yeah.
> 
> Also, fun fact. This series will be ending in about two chapters. I'll have the final chapter and then an epilogue. Its been a fun run~.


End file.
